


The Beast Returns, More Or Less

by Hunter_Caprittarius



Category: Beauty and the Beast (1991), Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Genre: Books, Caring Gaston (Disney), Cursed Gaston (Disney), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Gaston (Disney) Lives, Gaston as Beast (Disney), I'm Bad At Tagging, Multi, not really slash
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-24
Updated: 2018-02-24
Packaged: 2019-03-23 12:09:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13787433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hunter_Caprittarius/pseuds/Hunter_Caprittarius
Summary: Belle and Adam have lived together for two years, very happy, and very satisfied. However, the sorceress's curse strikes again, on another virtueless soul. Gaston.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don't really know what I'm doing. I'm winging it.

Gaston had done everything society had expected of him. He'd become the ideal man, the epitome of perfection. Starting when he turned fourteen, he'd changed enough that people could look past his terrible personality, just like father had wanted. 

So why?

Everything hurt, everything. Dammit! He lost. No, he didn't lose, he was demolished. Demolished and thrown off of a castle. Speaking of which, he should be dead.

"You're awake," a smooth voice said and Gaston looked up, barely able to move. A beautiful woman stared down at him, she was elegantly adorned in white silks and her golden hair billowed down to her hips. 

"Witch." Gaston whispered hoarsely. 

It was just as the sorceress had expected, Gaston's vain heart had become stone cold, there was no need to change her appearance, he would accept no one. He could see no further than the fact that he was alone in the world. She was going to give him a chance, or he would end up even more alone.

"Let me help you," she held out a pale hand, Gaston spat on it, "you're heart is frozen, you have chosen your path."

A brilliant golden light burst from her fingertips and wrapped around his neck. It blinded and suffocated him, seeped into his blood stream. The sorceress gave his writhing body a wry smile and disappeared, leaving Gaston to his transformation.

He grabbed at his chest as his bones contorted and cracked painfully.

When Gaston's vision returned and he could move again he was wearing only his trousers. The shredded remains of his shirt were scattered off to the sides. With immense difficulty, Gaston stood on his new legs, aching all over. Then he lumbered away, not knowing exactly where he was going.

He ended up on the outskirts of town, unfortunately.

Gaston let out a low and disapproving growl, if he ever saw another person, it would be an eternity too early. Too late.

The sound of a twig snapping announced the arrival of a little girl and her brother. Gaston turned to look at them. He knew he'd never be treated the same, that people might even hate him, but the reaction he got was far worse than he could have imagined. The little girl began to shriek, her peircing screams rattled his sensitive eardrums. 

The boy threw his arm infront of his sister and he too began to scream, "Beast! Beast! Help! Get away from us! Our father will have you skinned! Foul. Ugly. Beast!"

Gaston was enraged, unaware of his monstrous state, he took a heavy step forward. Both children's terrified wailing grew only louder, the sound was unbearable.

More noise came from one side, Gaston couldn't tell which, adults, who'd come running at the sound of their little terrors bawling their eyes out. It only got louder and louder. He could see sharp metal weapons and furious faces quickly approaching. Finially he could take no more, Gaston retreated into the woods, incredibly fast in his new body.

And, as long and as hard as the villagers searched for the monster that threatened them, they never found him.


	2. Chapter 2

Belle clicked the golden clasps of her cloak to the front of her magenta coat. "Be careful!" Adam called to her from the foyer, "don't let the beast catch you!"

Belle chuckled and smoothed down her outerwear, "don't worry, I doubt he could be scarier than you."

It had been two years since Belle and Adam had been married, two years since Gaston disappeared, and two years since the supposed 'beast sighting'.

It was incredibly lucky how everything had worked out for Belle and Adam. No one had seen Adam as a beast, they'd only seen him through the mirror, so no one knew that he was the monster Gaston had rallied them to go and kill. They had to come up with a way to explain all the living furniture though.

They'd managed to convince all the townfolk that the beings they had seen were indeed human, they'd just been turned into appliances. It had taken a while to convince everyone that nothing in the castle meant them any harm, and eventually they accepted it. They had to explain a lot of things though. Any other blame was transferred to Gaston, naturally. That it had been some sort of trick.

It was somewhat unfortunate, however it was true. Gaston had led them all into an enchanted castle with little to go on but the exploitation of their fears and his own need to be a hero.

Then there was the beast sighting, two children had supposedly seen a great big creature that fit Adam's former appearance in the woods. Others had been alerted by their screaming, but only the children actually saw the so-called beast. It was assumed that they'd imagined that too, they were simply still distraught at the prospect of the existence of such a monster.

The living furniture, Gaston, and the beast sighting had all become jokes. Something to talk about while drinking yourself silly. At one of Adam's parties, he had partaken in one such conversation. 

"What could possibly be so entertaining?" Adam had asked the circle of men, all chortling and chuckling at something previously said. "Or maybe that's not even a logical question, the lot of you are so drunk that you'd probably find everything funny." "Sit sit, your majesty. Unless of course you're to regal to drink with us commoners," one man had said, to which Adam had replied, "never", and sat down.

"We was just talkin bout all that nonsense that'd happened a while back." "You mean with Gaston?" Adam asked them, and several people nodded. One man, Tom, said "we were trying ta figure out what happened to the bastard," he roughly patted on the back of the man sitting next to him, "this one just said that he thought that Gaston might've been the beast this kids saw." Adam's eyed widened for a moment, but then Tom added "he was so ugly they thought he was a beast!" Adam relaxed and joined the haughty laughter.

The conversation had gone on in a similar fashion.

Belle sighed and opened the door, the crisp winter's air swirled around in her lungs. "I'll see you in a bit" she told Adam and left.

She'd made a habit of taking frequent walks in the forest. They helped her clear her head and relax. 

Her walks always reminded her of Adam, how they fell in love. She knew it was cheesy but she didn't care. Belle had found her place. With Adam there was always more to explore, more books to read, and more to learn. It was everything she'd ever asked for.

She wrapped her coat tighter around herself, soon it would be too cold to go an her little walks. 

The frosty ground crunched under her feet as she walked. Bell reached out with a pale hand and let her fingers brush against the rough bark of the trees. She hoped over a log and then sat on it, taking a deep breath. 

It was so nice. 

Crunch–Belle turned and stared through the foliage, she thought she'd heard something. 

Crunch–it was getting louder, there was someone out there, maybe and animal.

Crunch–whatever it was, it was getting closer.

Belle held her breath, a huge figure came slowly stomping from between the trees. It hadn't seen her yet, Belle could still hide, but she couldn't move. It was Adam...no, not Adam, but a beast. It looked like Adam when he was a beast, only bigger and its horns curled down towards its chin rather than sticking up.

The two locked eyes and for a moment, no one moved. Their breath came out in white puffs that soon disappeared. The beast's tired eyes narrowed and a flash of recognition crossed them, then anger. Belle's breath hitched, but instead if attacking, the beast turned heel and ran into the forest.

Belle shot up "wait!" she cried, but it was too late, the beast was gone. All that was left were the heavy footprints in the wet earth. Belle stood dumb, it was real, there was another beast. Those kids saw a real beast.

The palace door swung open and crashed into a coat rack, thank god they weren't alive anymore. "Adam!" she screamed, "where's Adam?" Lumiere rushed over, "mademoiselle, what is the matter?" "I need to see Adam" she told him urgently. 

"He is in his study."

"Thank you" she said and ran off, shedding her winter-wear on the stairs as she went. Lumiere gave an exasperated sigh and began to pick up the discarded clothes.

Adam jumped as his wife burst into his study. "Belle, what is it?"

Belle huffed, trying to catch her breath. After a couple seconds she managed to croak out "beast!"

"Excuse me?"

Belle shook her head, half exasperation, half apology.

"There's another beast, I saw him–her–er, it. Someone else got cursed!"

Adam's mouth dropped and he put his hands to his face. The joking words of drunk men at a party flooded back into his head. He mumbled something quiet. Then again, louder, "Gaston." "Could it really be him?" Belle asked and Adam nodded slowly, "I'm almost certain." The two shared a look and rushed out.

"Thank you, Lumiere" Belle said as she grabbed the clothes Lumiere had just finished picking up from his arms. 

Lumiere sighed again, "glad to be....of service."


	3. Chapter 3

Adam and Belle scoured the forest calling out "Gaston!" and "beast!" 

However, there was no hope for the two to find someone—something, rather—that had spent the last two years surviving alone. Hiding from people, running from people.

In fact, that exile had become the only thing comforting the beast. The fact that no one saw him, believed in him, remembered him. The fact that what he did didn't matter, for once.

But when he heard the nostalgic voices of Belle and Adam calling out that name—the one his father gave him, Gaston—he couldn't help but get closer. He crouched, undetected, above the two in the trees.

He watched how they huddled close together and brushed up against each other, without even realizing. 

For a sickening moment, the beast wondered what it would be like to chase them and hunt them down. With his monstrous size and speed it would be easy. But the last thing Gaston needed was a reminder of the hideous creature he was. The thought was quickly crushed.

He tilted his huge head downwards and listened to their conversation.

"We'll never find him at this rate" Adam said, shaking his head. But Belle refused to give up, "we have to, if it really was Gaston, we can help."

Adam's light brown eyebrows knit together, "why? He endangered the entire village. He attacked the castle." Adam took hold of Belle's hands, "he locked you and your father up, remember?"

A gravelly chuckle drifted down from the trees. "I also stabbed you." Gaston's voice was scratchy and his words were poorly annunciated, for there was seldom a need to speak when all you have to talk to are the birds.

The shivering couple looked around frantically, then up, where they saw a pair of squinted, yellow eyes in the shadows of the branches. "Gaston?" Adam whispered, not sure if he would rather it was it wasn't the "man" in question. Gaston lept down and landed in front of the two, crouched low to the ground. 

When he rose up it was slow and dramatic. Gaston's full form loomed a good three feet above Adam's head. As a man, Gaston was big, as a beast, he was huge. 

Adam—not going to lie—was incredibly intimidated by this. However, he felt it was duty as a husband to not run away. Belle, on the other hand, was not quite as scared and upon seeing that Adam—who, on the outside, seemed steeled and brave—was not leaving decided that it was her duty as a wife to stay with him. 

They made quite a pair.

Gaston exhaled loudly and the warm, musky air assaulted their faces, ruffling their hair. 

"Gaston" Adam breathed and got blinked at in response. 

Belle and Adam had made haste to find Gaston once they realized that he might have become a casualty of the same curse as Adam. But they gave no thought to what they would do if they actually found him. Deep down, neither really thought it was possible. Both somewhat believing that he was dead.

Subsequently, Gaston realized that he'd just thrown away two years of hiding just because he saw familiar faces. 

Two years was a long time to hold a grudge, and—as much as he tried—Gaston couldn't. He managed to stay angry at the prince and beauty for about a year. There was a tree behind a thicket that Gaston used to track the days, carving a mark into the trunk each time the sun rose. 

The urge to run and hide suddenly peaked, but Gaston was glued to the spot by the pair's eyes, which never left him. 

Belle reached out towards Gaston, and both males watched her warily. Her hand brushed against the rough fur on Gaston's arm, then tugged gently at a knot.

Belle looked up at Gaston, his eyes we're gentle and curious, even though he looked burly and dirty. Adam shifted uncomfortably next to her, so she squeezed his hand encouragingly. 

She smiled at Gaston and two years of uncertainty and ill will were forgiven. 

Belle immediately invited him to come home with them and Gaston couldn't say no, no matter how much he wanted to. 

Somehow, Gaston and Adam ended up sitting in the living room, staring at each other, waiting for Belle to return. "Don't move a muscle, either of you" she had told them before rushing off. Both of them had been somewhat careless while returning to the castle and had gotten covered in snow.

So there they sat, by the fire. 

Neither said a word. What could be said?

The fire crackled quietly in the corner and Gaston fixated on it, needing a distraction. He watched the orange flames lick at the wood. "Fire looks so harmless," he thought, "but when you get closer..." He reached a paw out, closer to the fire and felt the air get hotter, "it burns you—just like people." Gaston looked up at Adam, who was also staring into the flames. 

"What made her choose him?

What's so special about him that I can't see?

He's handsome, sure, but. . .what else?

What made him choose her?

She's beautiful, but there must have been more. . .

I'm ugly, what is there in this world for me?"

Gaston lowered his head and closed his eyes. When he opened them, he could have sworn he saw his father in the dancing flames, brandishing his gun proudly.

Suddenly, Gaston felt like he was a young lad again, sitting by his father, listening to him say, "Chin up, my boy! We are of a lucky brand of men. God has graced us with a gift to hide out follies and mask our faults." His father stroked his own chin and added, "how we look is all that matters to people, might as well impress." 

Then he was a beast again, and he knew his father would be disappointed.

For who could ever love a beast?

Not a father, not the people, and certainly not Gaston.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's not edited, there will probably be mistakes. Bear with me.

Gaston's eyes flitted open, then snapped open wide. He sprang up from the bed, looking around frantically. It took a few moments for him to realize where he was. He was in a bedroom, in the castle, the castle belonging to Belle and Adam, who should both hate him.

He arched his back as far back as his physique allowed, then slumped forward again. 

The entire situation confused him, and it made him tired just thinking about it.

What was he supposed to do now? He couldn't just stay here with Belle and Adam forever, that was not an option. He'd probably be back in the woods by next month, maybe even next week. They would either get tired of him or he would decide that he was better off in the woods. It was only a matter of time until Gaston left the grand castle, so he decided to make the best of it.

He explored great empty rooms and spacious dwellings. "How could any one person live here?" He thought, "it's too empty." 

Eventually, Gaston found himself laying in the middle of an empty ballroom. Apparently, the things stayed devoid of furnishings and people when not in use. 

He stared up at the ceiling, admiring the beautiful and detailed designs on it. There were depictions of angels and dancing women and bards playing on harps and drums.

If only his hands could create.

Once he had brought his father a picture scrawled on a peice of parchment. It was supposed to be a weeping willow, but looked more like a many-armed monster.

"Did one of the town girls give this to you?" His father had asked. 

"No," he'd replied, "they helped me draw it though."

"No, no," Father had said, shaking his head. He was handed a gun and taught how to shoot instead. 

All of that seemed a bit useless now, though. His big, clumsy hands could never hold a gun right, much less use it. Gaston doubted he'd even be able to position his head and arms correctly enough to aim it, not with his posture.

His eyes wandered across the ceiling and along the walls until they settled on a doorway.

Through it he could see more of those fancy wooden side tables that seemed to occupy every corner of the castle, two cases of yellow flowers, and, beyond that, a large staircase that split at the top, one going to the left, and the other to the right. He hoisted himself up and approached them, glancing between the two sets of stairs. Both turned corners and headed deeper into the castle, so Gaston couldn't tell where either went.

Shrugging his heavy shoulders, Gaston randomly picked one and headed up. The space soon narrowed into a poorly lit hallway.

The hall seemed to lack the excessive lighting that the rest of the castle had, thought it looked like someone had received made an attempt to remedy the problem by opening window. However, the windows had been so covored in dust that, even after wiping them off, they still let insufficient light through.

Everything in the hallway seemed incredibly dust covered, like it had not been touched in a very long time. Gaston picked up an abandoned (and definitely inanimate) candelabra and just the action of doing so released a cloud of grey dust.

The hallway kept winding until it stopped and opened up into three rooms. 

The room on the left was the smallest, it contained a tiny bed with little curtains. Too small, Gaston decided, for a baby. It was probably a dog bed, a very Royal dog bed.

The room on the right looked untouched. It had a single king-size bed and purple curtains. There was a closet and table, too. But everything looked wrong. Like it's inhabitants had left in a hurry. Things were scattered all around and the thick layer of undisturbed dust over everything suggested that nothing had been touched since.

The last room, the center one, was the worst. It was the same size as the room on the right, and had all the same furnishings. But everything had been destroyed.

Tables and chairs had been flung across the room, blankets and curtains had been shredded, and decorations hung off the walls lopsided and mangled.

Gaston took a sharp breath and walked in. There was a decently sized patio neat the back, so he walked out and immediately regretted it. He recognized it. To the left he could see the gargoyle clad rooftop where he'd chased the beast around like a rabid dog, and when he looked up he could see where he'd clung to the beast's back and plunged a peice of stone into his side, and—

And when he looked down...he could see where he fell. The snow looked powdery and soft and Gaston wondered if his new form would survive a fall from that height.

He decided not to test it, and stepped back from the edge, scanning the room again. In the corner there was a pile of stuff covered with a cloth.

Gaston walked over to it and pulled the cloth off.

It was a pile of the objects in the room that had been the most destroyed. Something gold caught his eye, a picture frame. He picked it up, it was a picture of Adam, a young version of Adam, staring with wide, watching eyes. And it had deep claw marks across it.

Gaston placed his paw against the canvas, sighing at the way the claw marks lined up with his own claws.

The prices began to click into place.

This must have been Adam's room. Belle always described the beast as kind and misunderstood, but people (and beasts) change over time. Adam was probably scared and angry when he was first changed. Nice, calm people don't scratch up portraits of their own faces.

And the other room... probably his parents'. 

Meaning, his parents, the cowardly king and queen, ran away. They left him alone, and trapped in a monster's body. Not only that, but they left their kingdom just because they were afraid of their son.

Well, they probably had little influence anyways, if they were able to slip away unnoticed by the world. It was only now that Adam and Belle were making an active effort that people had begun to respect and listen to those who dwelled in the castle.

There was a small noise behind Gaston and he turned quickly. Adam jumped back a bit.

"Lord, I forgot how scary I must've looked."

Gaston huffed slightly and put the portrait back on the pile of broken belongings and picked up the cloth. 

"It's about time these rooms are emptied out," Adam kept talking, "but most of us have a hard time coming up here, brings back unpleasant memories."

Gaston and Adam share a look, it's not awkward, it's more of a peacemaking look. A silent decision to try to understand each other. They had things to bond over after all, like mutual sorceress-induced monstrousness.

"Join us for dinner?"


End file.
